An armed man shot and killed by an Escondido police officer over the weekend after a high-speed pursuit that ended with a deadly confrontation at Valley View Casino & Hotel has been identified.
Osbaldo Ramirez Jimenez, 50, was identified Wednesday by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office (ME) as the suspect killed in the officer-involved shooting that happened Saturday night.
The ME report said Ramirez died just after 9 p.m. at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido from gunshot wounds suffered in the encounter with police in the parking lot of the Valley View Casino & Hotel located at 16300 Nyemii Pass Rd. in San Diego's North County.
At around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, officers with the Escondido Police Department (EPD) were called to a residential area on Timber Glen in Escondido to investigate a report of a family disturbance.
Ramirez, the suspect in that disturbance, fled the neighborhood in a car. Police tried to stop him, but he refused to yield and a high-speed pursuit between him and police officers ensued.
The chase led officers to Valley View Casino & Hotel, west of Valley Center. As they approached the casino, the EPD called for extra help from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) and San Pasqual Tribal Police.
Ramirez pulled into the entrance of the casino and stopped near the valet area, SDSO Lt. Rich Williams said. He got out of the car holding an object in his hands. The SDSO confirmed Wednesday that Ramirez was holding a handgun.
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Authorities confronted Ramirez and at least one officer fired shots at him. Williams said Ramirez was struck by the gunfire and soon died at the hospital.
No law enforcement officers or bystanders were hurt, but patrons at the casino were shaken by the shooting.
The SDSO identified the officer involved in the shooting as Terrence Pizzuti, who has been with the EPD since 2013.
No further details have been released.
The SDSO's Homicide Unit is handling the investigation into the police shooting. When the SDSO finishes its investigation, the officer-involved shooting case will be turned over to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office for review.
Anyone with information about this case can reach out to the SDSO's Homicide Unit at (858) 974-2321 or (858) 565-5200.
